Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



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SALMON BELDEN AND JOHN FRANKLING cRAeTRE-E, orvrsAL-iA, t CALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent liv/Io.- 85,268, lated December 29, 1 868.

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'ho Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent a'nd making partof the sarna.

To all whom Ait ma/y concern.

' Be it known that we, SALMON BnnDEN andJoHN FRANKLING ORABT'REE, of Visalia, county oi Tulare, State of California, have invented an Improved Breech- Loading and'Repeating Fire-Arm; and we do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are suiicient to enable any person skilled in the art -or science to. which it most nearly appertains, to make and usesur said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

Our inyention relates to that class of smallarms known as breech-loaders and repeaters, and has for itsv object certain improvemchts, more especially relating to the gun as a repeater, by which the necessary mechanism for loading. a`

fromthree or four to one.

o. .le .the construction of'our gun, a. barrel is employed ihaving a receiving-chamber or magazine extending along the top of it. The breech-block consists of two pieces, hinged together so as' to slide up and down by block rises",

that the entrance of a new cartridge will force it out.

.The enteringcaria'idge is retainedby a stop on the.

other side until the breech-block has been returned to its plzu`1e',`andv the t'wo sides closed, which' is done by fully cocking the gun.- This brings the cartridge in aline with the barrel, in which position it is fired.

To more fully explain our invention reference is had t0 the accompanying drawings, forming-a. part of this specification, of .which-'- 'Figure l is a side elevation with section of barrel, the lock-plateremoved,` 'and hammer down.

Figure 2 shows the gun at full cock.

Figure 3 is atop view of the mechanism.

Fi s 4, 5, 6, and are detached views o f breechblock and hammer.

'Similar letters of reference, in each of the drawings, indicate corresponding-parts.

A is the-barrel of the gun, of our construction, biw- 'ing the magazine B extending along the top.

This magazine contains a spring, L, with its button I or plate, E, for pressing the caitrdges out, and supplying them as desired.

The breech-block C, which is chambered at J, so as to contain a cartridge when closed, is constructed of two blocks-of steel, hinged together at c, so as to open, or separate laterally, as they rise.

The opening is insured by the small spring b, placed between the two parts, near the bottom. The 'hammer A' and the tumbler D are forged in one piece. i The main-'spring extends back into the small of the discharging is very much sim' plied, and thcnumber ofmotions required is reduced stock, and operates directly on the tumbler by means of a link, as shown.

llie lever. B', which operates the breech-block, is

pvoted at G, and hasni projection 'which enters opening in the' l'n'eeeh-bhmk at c, and a projecting' point at M, near the centre, as shown. f

.l.he tumbler carries two pins, one fixed at K and the other at I, moving loosely through a hole in the tumbler, and kept extended beyond the surface of the tumbler by a spring, H, on the backV side.

To fill the magazinathe breech-block is raised, which brings the chamber opposite the magazine. The cartridges are then-introduced, each succeeding one pressing the former one ioryvard, anLbeing allowed to rest for the instant against-7 the lip F.

A The operation of our gun is as follows:

When the hammer A is raised, the pin I comes in contact with the point'M, and raises the end of the- -thechainber is opposite the magazine. As thejbreechblock rises, the' two parts separate. A small bent,

ispriug, g', is fastened to one of the sides C, and is so arranged that, as the two parts separate, it keeps the discharged shell closely to one side until. the new cartridge entering, presses it out, but is itself prevented from passing ont, by the 4lip or stop F, whichprojects far enough for this purpose. Atvthe moment the breech-block reaches its highest point, the pin I slipsA by' the point M,.aud the piu K, on the opposite side ofthe axis ofthe tumbler, presses against the upper side ofthe lever, and depresses it, carrying with itthe breechblock and new cartridge, the breech-block in the meantime closing`, and forminga perfectlyfitting chamber, in a line'withvthe barrel.

When the triggerispulled, andthe hammer-allowed toall, to discharge the 'guu, thepiu I passes the point M, the spring'I- I allowing it to recede sufficiently for the purpose, and it is then'iu aposition to again -raise the breech-block. If it`be undesirable to fire the gui 1,the hammer may be lowered to the halfcock notch, and, as the pin I has not passedthe point M, the hammer can be 'raised at anytime without moving the breech-block.

rIhe saine mechanism is peculiarly adapted to repeating-pistols, and forms, .at the same time, the sim` p lest and strongest au'angemeut' yet discovered,` its strength depending on the amountvof metal fon each side ofthe breech-block.

Having thus describedrour invention,

What's we claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Iatent, is l 1. The double-slidingbreeeh-block O, with the chamber J and the opening-spring b, the whole constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The lever B', and the two operating-pins, I andv` li, un the `tumbler l), 0r :in equivalent device for elevating zuid depressing the breech-bleek :it une motinn, substantially :is described. l

3. The bent lspring g, brhulding the shell tu une side, substantially as herein described. l

4. In combinant-i011 with the barrel A land magazine B, the d0ublesliding breech-block' C, the lever B wit-h its two operating pins 1 and K, :md the shell-extracting :lrepeating-arm, sul

In witnewhereof7 we have hereuntu set nurhands and seuls.

SALMON BELDEN. JOHN FRANKDI'NG OR Witnesses-z L. REDFIELD, JOSEPH LEWls.

[1.. 5.] ABTREE. [L 

